Nick Rogers
Name: Nick Rogers
How long have you been CrossFitting? Nine and a half years. I started shortly after turning 40, so initially it was a classic hot, physical, sweaty mid-life crisis, but it's clear now that it is true love.
What is your favourite WOD/exercise? I should probably go for the things I am better at, like running, rowing, sit-ups: I am reasonably good at sustaining 80% effort over longer time domains. But I'm going to say snatches. I still struggle to lift anything heavier than a pencil with speed and balance – but nothing else in the gym makes me think as much, and it feels great on the rare occasions when I actually hit a good one.
What is your least favourite WOD/exercise? Jason’s pre-WOD stretches.
What is your previous workout/athletic background? I played lots of sports at school – nothing elite, but reasonably competent. When I had kids I remained pretty active but gave up organized sport and always found the idea of going to a weight machine-based gym incredibly boring.
What was your first experience at CrossFit Cayman like? Heroin. I mean I'm only guessing, but when I sat on that bench in front of Tarasa and the whiteboard with three other people on the foundation course I knew immediately that I had found happiness and that I would be One Who Would Stick With It. Then we had to do a micro workout that left me gasping on the floor surrounded by the shards of my shattered ego - but I came back the next day and have carried on chasing the dragon ever since.
What results have you seen since CrossFitting? There's a line I like in a Julian Barnes book: "some people would call me thin, but I prefer to think of myself as having the whippy strength of a young sapling". I didn't feel that was where I wanted to be as a 40 year old, so my main goal was to become less weak. Within 3 or 4 months I put on 8-10lbs without my body fat increasing. And from that flowed other benefits like being more conscious of my posture, greater energy etc. But for me the feeling of being fit is a hugely satisfying end in itself.
What do you do to get yourself through a tough workout? I have a sliding scale. My normal approach is to calculate the work remaining in percentage terms, though it always amazes me how hard it is to do simple mental calculations when exercising. Next would be to sneak a peek at how some of the other members at my modest level are moving, and use that to spur me on. DEFCON 1 is to imagine that my kids are cheering me on and that I cannot let them down – though I suspect they would actually just be laughing at the weird noises and dribble coming from me when it gets to that stage.
What's your favourite aspect about working out at CrossFit Cayman? I'm not sure, but it's definitely one of the following: the moment you finish a WOD; the calm that descends in the 10 second countdown just before a WOD; the WOD itself, sometimes; dropping the bar after a heavy clean; thoughtful, expert, caring, patient coaching from inspirational athletes; the Roxanne burpee warm-up (if you've never done it, request it and then try not to smile); the Camana Bay location; trying, failing, trying again, failing better; finding myself doing rope climbs or bear crawls while my colleagues are at their desks eating their lunch; the impressive athletes I get to work out with, including the kind, enthusiastic, generous, funny friends I have made; the super-welcoming atmosphere; that the more you put in the more you get out; the feeling of being fit enough that I know I can have a crack at pretty much anything; feeling proud that my kids are proud. But mostly the location I think ;)
What advice do you have for someone thinking about joining CrossFit Cayman? If you want to get fit, stay fit and enjoy the journey then don't be intimidated, just throw yourself into it. Still not sure? I saw someone wearing a T-shirt saying, "Strong people are harder to kill".